Hamlin nodded. Up until this point, he had realized Kaze’s background and identity were more than met the eye. He was not the live-in husband who got kicked out of his wife’s family in Lilyrose and came to Riverbank to seek refuge. “Mr. Lee, what are your thoughts on Bronze Sparrow after this?” Hamlin asked again to learn of Kaze’s opinion. “Zoro is just the general manager, the boss on the front. The real boss is Casius Weather and this place can provide him a massive profit annually.” He was trying to warn Kaze of Casius’ retaliation. What Hamlin did not know was that this whole conflict with Bronze Sparrow was actually orchestrated by Casius to get rid of Kaze. “Since the boss of Bronze Sparrow is dead, then this place is mine.” Kaze smiled as he took his phone out for a call. “Kaze?” Miru’s voice came from the phone. She sounded slightly baffled. She had arrived in Riverbank for some time now and had been concentrating on the turf war of the underworld. She
The police were in a difficult spot because the Viper’s Den was a pain in the neck. Miru came forward and lifted the cloth, revealing Luis’ body under. “This is Joel’s killer!” “Woah!”The Viper’s Den members were bewildered by the sudden loss of Luis. They had seen a photo of Luis before, so they could identify the body as his. In the crowd, Jude’s confidante grimaced and said angrily, “Who are you? Do you think we will buy your story just because you put the blame on Luis? “I thought someone else killed Joel. Luis was just hypnotized.” Miru glanced at the speaker with a raised brow. “Oh? Says who?” Jude’s confidante said curtly, “Zoro, the GM of Bronze Sparrow said so. We gave him a day to catch the killer, or we would attack his establishment. “He’s a well-known underground kingpin of Riverbank. He won’t lie to us.” The agent stirred up trouble. He knew that Jude’s intention was for Bronze Sparrow to make Kaze the scapegoat. That way, Jude could get back at
“I need your guidance on the ring fight against Jude three days later. “Should I refuse or fight Jude?” Hannah asked Kaze for his opinion. Kaze replied indifferently, “Since Jude wants to make a comeback through the ring, just give him what he wishes for. He can get over it soon enough. “Don’t sit back and do nothing in the days leading up to the fight, though. He might try something.“You and Collier should clip Jude’s wings and take away his assets and territories. Leave him with nothing. “Even better, drive him to desperation.”Kaze’s voice was icy. Zoro abducted Rose, forcing Kaze to kill him at Bronze Sparrow. There was no doubt Jude played a part in the kidnapping. Kaze was not going to drop the matter. “Got it.” Hannah nodded and said, “Our biggest problem for our plans with the Viper’s Den is not Jude, but Casius. “He has been active in the West State, befriending the senior members there to dip his fingers in the South River State Branch. To get what he w
“Your man?” Nelson and Agatha were taken aback as Buffy came down the stairs. The beautiful, graceful woman turned up in Kaze’s residence. Snapping out of her trance, Agatha tore into Kaze. “Well, well, well. You were mooching off Agnes when you were living in Lilyrose. “I can’t believe you would hit on another woman behind Darcy’s back. “Darcy is pretty, rich, and gives you the world. The skank has nothing on her.” Agatha’s remark upset Buffy. Skank? In what way was Kaze’s wife better than her? Buffy believed she was far superior. “Mom!” Rose pulled her mother back and explained, “You got the wrong idea. Kaze did not betray Darcy. “Ms. Gwake’s father is Jude Gwake, the deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch.” “I don’t care who she is. She’s a sl—” Agatha could not care less. Nelson grimaced. “Shut up!” Nelson cried before turning to Buffy. “I’m sorry, Ms. Gwake. My wife was just acting out of ignorance. She is mistaken. Please pardon
Kaze figured out what was going on the moment he walked out of the villa. Coming from power and money, Buffy did not need to use Kaze as a cover against other socialites. From the few encounters Kaze had with Buffy, he observed her to be a proud woman. When she needed Kaze’s help in getting Jude treated, she wanted to do so by winning a gamble. Alas, Buffy did not have the best of luck, and things did not go as planned. “It must be Casius who pressured you into using me as a shield.” Kaze pulled his arm out of Buffy’s grip. The touch of her girls grazed his arm, stirring something deep within him even with his strong will. Without hesitation, Buffy stood firm and gave him a defiant look. “What? Scared? “Didn’t you cause a scene at Bronze Sparrow? Now, Zoro is dead, and Bronze Sparrow is under new management.“Even if you aren’t the cause, Casius will still make you pay for starting it. “Casius may look like the most charitable gentleman, but he’s the pettiest guy I k
The reception area was charged with sensual energy. It would not be a great time for a young man to walk in on these ladies. Yet, Kaze kept his composure. He followed Buffy’s line of vision to a striking woman at the center of the group. The woman was Buffy’s stepmother, Faith Gwake.With Buffy walking in, her arm linked with Kaze’s, the cheers and laughter in the room stopped. The other four women sized Kaze up before looking at Faith, who was upset, with intrigue. Buffy was thrilled with Faith’s reaction. “Hello, Stepmother. Hello, everyone.” She pulled Kaze along and said hello with a wave. Faith pulled her grim eyes away from Kaze and turned to Buffy with a smirk. “Oh, I guess pigs fly. I didn’t think I’d ever hear you call me Mom. “I thought you wouldn’t step foot at my place even on the day I die,” Faith said sarcastically. Buffy was not on good terms with her stepmother. Heck, they were like enemies. She answered with a smile, “Don’t be ridiculous, Faith.
Kaze got a general idea of why Buffy brought him to meet Faith. Faith likely had been setting Buffy up with Casius. In addition, Faith’s snobbish remarks rubbed Kaze the wrong way. He wanted to slap the arrogance out of her. Before Kaze could speak, Buffy took Kaze’s arm once more and leaned closer in an act to be more intimate. Facing Faith’s burning eyes, Buffy said icily, “You are mistaken, Faith. “Kaze isn’t my new driver or a bodyguard. He doesn’t work for me.“He’s my boyfriend. “I brought him here to tell you that we’re officially dating. “Stop setting me up with Casius, talking my dad into it, and tipping Casius off to chance an encounter with me. “It’s never going to work between Casius and me,” Buffy said firmly, sending her message loud and clear. With Buffy expressing her stance strongly, the other women looked at Kaze in surprise. What did Kaze do to deserve Buffy? She turned away from an eligible bachelor like Casius and picked Kaze instead. “Hmph
Picking up manic vibes from Buffy’s tone, Kaze frowned. The Gwakes were more than met the eye. Buffy’s mother seemed to be in the picture, but she seemed to be in some sort of trouble and bound by Faith. Faith had a say in Buffy’s marriage.Kaze’s doubts were quickly answered soon enough. “Smack!”Faith rose to her feet and slapped Buffy in the face. A stinging red handprint marred Buffy’s soft skin. Buffy was caught in surprise. Even Kaze did not see it coming. He did not expect Faith to be trained in the art of self-defense, and she was pretty skilled. Kaze took another glance at Faith. She wore a dress with a thigh-high slit, lounging on the couch without a care. Hence, Kaze failed to pick up on a few key details. Now that he took another look at Faith, he found things he had missed before. When Kaze’s gaze fell on the steaming hot drink in front of Faith, he pulled a smirk. Faith took a step and ripped Buffy a new one. “You have the nerve, slut!“Who do y
“How dare those men hijack the plane and take Kaze. They must be punished…” Despite her grumbles, Snow grew anxious. “Given Mr. Lee’s capabilities, he won’t be hurt.” The agents around her tried to comfort her. They believed she was being too nervous. “I know, but we as subordinates have failed him by allowing this to happen. We have to do our best to make up for the mistake, and not rely on Mr. Lee to get out because he can.” Snow drowned in self-blame and regretted not being able to help. It was her negligence that allowed the hijacking to happen. “But there’s nothing you can do now. It’s late. Even the hijackers need to rest. They won’t do anything yet.” “It’s because the hijackers need to rest that we have to hurry and beat them to it. That’s the only way to solve this matter!” “But we’ve searched high and low and didn’t find anything. No one knows where they have gone. Even if they transported the passengers via buses, we didn’t see any tracks.” The agents discu
Kaze breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly went over to Miguel and pressed his hands with the gun down so that it would not misfire. “Good job.” “Thanks.” Miguel curled his lips into a nervous smile. He frequently trained in the gym and mixed martial arts but had never encountered any real-life incident before, thus being inexperienced. Fortunately, his mentality was stronger than the others and allowed him to act accordingly. “I’ll be taking the gun. This is self-defense, you won’t be charged and you won’t need to take responsibility,” Kaze said. Miguel’s pale face looked relieved. “What should we do now? Are there more of them?” Miguel dared not let go of the gun, worried there might be more enemies. “I’ve counted the numbers and this guy here should be the last one.” He then took the gun from Miguel’s hands. “Really? Gosh! That was crazy! I was so terrified!” Miguel finally loosened up and let his instinct take over. His heart was pounding so fast that it
Manson came over and saw the mercenaries lying in their own puddle of blood. The gore shocked him and made him sick. He tried his best to hold back the urge to throw up as it would attract attention. “Don’t look if you can’t take it! Don’t make things worse!” “Yeah! Professor! Grow a pair of balls!” “I have never seen dead bodies like this before!” he explained with a flush of embarrassment on his face. “Can we go out now and run away?” The hostages were eager to leave as things had settled down outside. They thought the danger was over. A dead mercenary was inside the container with them and they were still horrified. Once the others found out about this, the hostages would be shot to death. “If you want to die, be my guest. The moment you step out, you’ll be shot!” Callahan said as he looked at the others scornfully. One of the hostages had already put his hand on the handle of the door and was ready to dash out, but he quickly pulled his hand back after listening
“Tsk. Hold on.” Vexed, the man clicked his tongue and then waved at his colleague. “Come here. Someone fainted. Help me get him out.” The man wanted to take the professor out of the container. Manson’s heart pounded as he listened to the man. He was afraid he might be exposed, but there was no turning back now—he had to play along. Kaze stood behind the door, calming his breath down to lower his presence. “Get back. Stay away from the door. If anyone gets close, don’t blame me for being rough,” said the man as he unlocked the container. He opened the door and saw a number of hostages still sleeping. He then looked at the professor on the floor. He went closer to nudge him but did not get a response. It seemed like the professor needed medical attention. “Come on. Help me get him out.” The other man outside the container was on edge, looking as if he would pull the trigger at the slightest movement. “Why don’t we do it?” Callahan and Miguel volunteered. “You two
“It’s freaking troublesome.” “Boss, don’t worry about it. We’ll get an update tomorrow.” “Yeah. It’s late. Get some rest.” Tiguan’s men told him to get some rest and not worry so much. A few of them were already snoring on the chair. Tiguan sighed and killed the cigarette. He then closed his eyes to get some rest, too. The container that Kaze was in fell into silence once more. No one dared to make any noise but they all looked at Kaze, hoping to find out about his plans. Kaze’s eyes remained fixed on the window and showed no intention of revealing his thoughts. Miguel and Callahan were annoyed by the other hostages. “If you people want to get out of here alive, you better cooperate or come up with your own idea. No one is responsible for saving you.”“Yeah. I don’t want you guys to turn on us after we do all the heavy lifting. It will cost us our lives and you people won’t even be grateful.” Miguel’s tone was sarcastic because he disliked how the others looked at t
Kaze read the hostages’ minds and refused to be used. He wanted to leave but not under such circumstances. “That’s not true. We just don’t have the skills for this kind of situation. You guys are stronger, of course, you should be in the front,” said the man in glasses and a suit. A hint of sharpness gleamed in his eyes. Miguel knew what the man was planning, either. “That’s some plan you have there. You are just trying to use us to escape this place and no matter what happens, you’ll win.” “That’s not it! I just want everyone to stand together and get out of this place. I’ve never thought of using anyone!” the man argued, trying to look innocent. Even a monkey knew what he was planning, yet no one dared to speak up because they would benefit from it too. “Why don’t you guys think of something? If you need our help, we’ll help,” said another middle-aged gentleman who looked more just and fair, as if he could lead the group. “Then what is your plan?” Kaze suddenly wante
The hostages were locked up in the containers. Some of them were elites in their own field while some were ordinary people with average income, yet all of them got into trouble when they boarded the plane. Most of them could not accept their fate. Yet they dared not defy or resist the mercenaries. When things started to calm down, they broke down in tears, weeping in silence as resentment consumed them. Kaze sat down at a clean corner that allowed him to look outside the window. The window was dirty but at least he could see outside. The space inside the container was filled with people sitting closely, offering comfort to one another. They were aware they were just temporarily safe in this container. No one knew what the mercenaries would do to them at the next moment. “My parents must be worried. I said I would call them when I land but now I can’t even get in touch,” Barney muttered as he sat beside Kaze. He too looked outside the window, his feelings mixed. He watc
Kaze thought of what he had overheard in the toilet. If he told the hostages about that, they would probably panic. “It’s nothing. They are just going to separate us into different rooms or containers. They said the buses would be disposed of,” he said. He did not want to reveal too much because it would cause panic. Once the hostages knew their lives were on the line, things might spiral out of control. The mercenaries could kill a few of them to make an example, and none of the hostages would dare to cause problems anymore. Kaze kept it a secret because he wanted to protect the people. “That’s it?” “Is there anything else? How many men are there? What is their plan? Who are they looking for?” “We want to know because we want to survive. This isn't our problem—we just got caught up in it.” The hostages looked at Kaze, their eyes filled with worry. They felt aggrieved because they should not be caught in such a huge problem. “I don’t know either.” No matter how m
“There’s a room there. Get in.” The mercenary pointed his gun at the mother and son, which led them to look at Kaze nervously, seemingly asking for help. “What do you want?” The mother was nervous. She clutched her son’s hand tightly, nearly making him cry, but she reacted quickly enough to cover her son’s mouth to prevent him from doing so. “All women must go into that room. You go in now,” the mercenary explained. He did not want the woman to get the wrong idea. “You people won’t hurt me, right?” the mother asked, worried that she might be ravaged. “We are not into MILF,” said the other mercenary who was escorting Kaze, indirectly assuring the mother. Kaze shot a glance at the mother and nodded at her. “They told us they were going to separate us, so there’s nothing to worry about,” he said, worried that the mother and son would not cooperate. The mother then carried her son and followed the other mercenary into the room. It was called a room but it was actually ju